Since Jan. 3, Ohio’s daily COVID-19 cases have dropped by 97%

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) -On Monday, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) reported 851 new COVID-19 cases in the state which marks a 97% drop since the state’s high on Jan. 3.

In late December and early January, Dr. Keith Armitage, director of University Hospitals Roe Green Center form Travel Medicine and Global health, compared the Omicron variant of COVID to a blizzard.

Siting the spread in other counties, Armitage expected the sharp decline based on how infectious the newest variant was and the ease at which it jumped from person to person.

While Monday’s reported number of 851 is subject to change, when compared to the 32,493 cases of Jan. 3, Omicron is doing exactly what Armitage predicted.

Where the drop in cases has helped the most is in our area hospitals.

At one point the surge was so severe Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called in more than 2,000 Ohio National Guard members to work in hospitals and testing sites.

Most of those Guard members have been released back to their civilian lives.

Monday’s latest report shows there are only three hospitals where the Guard is still deployed in Franklin, Lucas and Montgomery counties.

On Jan. 10, ODH reported more 6,749 Ohioans were in hospital beds battling COVID, which was also a record for the two year pandemic.

On Monday, Ohio had 1,517 in hospitals with COVID, which marks a decline of 78%.

The Ohio Hospital Association, tracks weekly hospitalizations for and its data shows a dramatic drop in cases for an age range thought to be protected, by being young.

In the past four weeks hospitalizations for those 18-29 have dropped 78%.